Study Finds AI Tools May Slow Experienced Developers by 19% on Some Tasks

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A report by METR (Model Evaluation & Threat Research) found that experienced open-source developers working in their own repositories were on average 19% slower when using AI tools for certain tasks. The finding challenges the widespread assumption that AI consistently boosts developer productivity. Analysts note that time spent prompting, waiting, reviewing, and refactoring AI-generated code can offset speed gains from automated code generation. Experts argue that larger, more powerful AI models do not automatically translate into faster or better software development outcomes. The consensus emerging is that how developers use AI matters more than which model they choose, with critical thinking and system understanding remaining essential skills.

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